Andy Robinson

“Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a game stuck between two worlds. When it’s emulating the series’ past, Beyond is an entertaining, if overly conservative, sequel. However, as the shadowy corridors make way for open-world fetch quests, and Halo-style expeditions with AI companions, it’s left feeling like a diluted experience that doesn’t fully deliver on the spirit of earlier entries.”

“Enhance's Tetris Effect follow-up is a loud and brash, if somewhat unrefined, synaesthesia puzzler that’s more visually dynamic than its predecessor, but often at the expense of gameplay clarity.”

“Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 were considered among the best games ever made when they were released, and a decade and a half later that still hasn't changed. The attempt to replace the Wii Remote's pointer controls with Joy-Con gyro movement never feels quite as intuitive as the original experience, but this concession won't dampen the spirits of anyone lucky enough to be playing these games for the first time. Both games remain the high point of creativity in the platform game genre, making this one of the easiest recommendations we've ever made.”

“Though Mario Party Jamboree’s Switch 2 additions are of mixed quality, its best additions, which take advantage of the Switch 2 hardware, undoubtedly elevate what’s already one of the best series entries.”

“Mario & Luigi Brothership is a triumphant return for the series, maintaining the spirit and action-oriented platforming of its predecessors, coupled with fantastic exploration and satisfying battle mechanics.”

“For retro enthusiasts with access to likeminded friends and family, this Switch challenge collection is a genuine local multiplayer hit. For solo players and those looking to compete with others online, however, it’s a far less impressive package.”

“Alongside last year’s excellent Super Mario RPG remake, The Thousand-Year Door is one of the very best Mario spin-offs on Nintendo Switch, whether you’re an old fan or discovering it for the first time.”

“Mario vs. Donkey Kong offers a notable step up in visual quality from its 20-year-old source material, but the same can't be said for the gameplay mechanics, which remain largely unchanged. While it will no doubt appeal to purists who loved the GBA original, those discovering it for the first time may find it too easy and not up to the same standards as modern, similarly priced Mario releases.”

“Switch’s Mario RPG feels like a love letter to the original game. Fans of the 1996 version will be delighted by the care that’s gone into recreating the SNES title scene-for-scene. For everyone else, this remains a charming RPG adventure well worth discovering.”

“Two decades later, Metroid Prime feels just as fresh and modern in 2023 as it did back in the day. Whether you’re revisiting, or donning Samus’s visor for the first time, Prime deservedly sits among the Switch’s list of essentials.”